Edwards, R. Lavell
Football
b. Oct. 11, 1930, Orem, UT
A center, Edwards was captain of the Utah State University football team in 1951. He spent two years in the Army and coached high school football until 1962, when he became an assistant at Brigham Young University.
Edwards was named head coach in 1973. With his burly build and rugged features, he looks like a coach who would emphasize defense and the running game, but Edwards is one of college football's foremost teachers of the pro-style passing attack.
Brigham Young never had a consensus All-American player until 1979. Since then, the school has produced four All-American quarterbacks, Marc Wilson, Jim McMahon, Steve Young, and 1990 Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer.
Under Edwards, Brigham Young led the nation in passing offense eight times, total offense five times, and scoring three times.
He was named Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association and the Football Writers' Association of America in 1984, when Brigham Young was ranked first nationally with a 12-0 regular season record. The Cougars beat Michigan, 24-17, in the Holiday Bowl that year.
Edwards retired after the 2000 season with a 258-101-3 record, a .722 winning percentage. He ranks sixth in all-time victories. The Brigham Young football stadium was renamed in his honor.